


The Night Before

by afteriwake



Series: The Summer Of 100 Surprise Stories - Summer 2018 [34]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Captain America: The First Avenger, Cheek Kisses, F/M, Feels, Insomniac Steve Rogers, Late Night Conversations, Missing Scene, POV Peggy Carter, Pining Peggy Carter, Pre-Attack on HYDRA Headquarters, Touching, Unrequited Love, Worried Peggy Carter, Worried Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-24
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-05-28 01:44:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15037964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: The last real conversation Peggy and Steve have before the attack on HYDRA headquarters and Steve's apparent death.





	The Night Before

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Dreamin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/gifts).



> So this is a prompt claimed by **Dreamin** for Steve/Peggy (“ _'I’m sorry. I can’t help but stare.'_ ”) that I combined with an unclaimed Summer Surprise prompt (" _Forehead or cheek kisses_ "). Sorry for the feels!

“I’m sorry. I can’t help but stare.” 

“Have you never seen a woman with her hair in curlers before?” Peggy asked, crossing her arms. It was bloody uncomfortable to sleep with them in her hair one what amounted to a rather thin cot, but she was expected to look feminine, even on the ground in the middle of a war. Bloody hypocritical oafs who were in charge. The men could get as dirty and smelly as they pleased and _she_ was expected to be the epitome of feminine beauty.

“No, it’s just...you remind me of my mom,” Steve said sheepishly, looking down. “She had the same dressing gown.”

“Oh,” Peggy said, and it was her turn to be embarrassed now. She pulled the dressing gown tighter around her and tilted her head to look at Steve. Even after all the time that they had spent together since his tour of girls had come to the 107th, she realized this was the most under-dressed he had seen her in all their time together. It made her a tad self-conscious. “Could you not sleep?”

“Bit anxious about tomorrow,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “Not that I don’t think we can storm the castle, so to speak, but I just don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

“You always did have such a big heart,” she said, reaching over and caressing his cheek gently. He seemed to lean into it, nuzzling her palm almost, and he shut his eyes. “You’ll have support, Steve. You’ll be fine.”

“I wasn’t the one I was worried about,” he said, lifting his head up.

“Me?” she asked, a small smile on her face. “You’ll be protecting me. I’ll be fine.” She lowered her hand, dropping it on his shoulder for a moment before letting it fall back to her side. “To be honest, even though you’re nigh-indestructible, I worry about _you_.”

“Well, I owe you a dance,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m going to be sure to collect when this is all over.”

“Any dance in particular?” she asked.

“Anything where I don’t trip over my own two feet,” he said.

“Well, I may break tradition and lead if you’re so unsure of yourself,” she said.

Steve looked at her for a good long moment, then pushed one of the curlers away from her cheek and leaned in, pressing his lips to the soft skin there. “Thank you, Peggy,” he said softly. “Good night.”

“Good night, Steve,” she said, watching him turn away and head back to his own tent, her heart in her throat. There was so much she wanted to say, so much she wanted to ask for, and yet all she could do was watch him melt into the darkness, taking her heart with him.


End file.
